Operation: Express Car; [train plot log]

[these_balls]

Who: Everyone who wants to participate!
Where: Goldenrod City, the Magnet Train, Saffron City.
When: November 23rd, 11AM-5PM
Summary: Heist on the Magnet Train!
Rating: Might go up to PG-13, possibly R if exceptional violence of swearing occurs.
Log:

They've spent the last few days preparing. He wasn't sure at first, how this was going to turn out, but the Team is confident. They are confident and now he, Archer, is also confident. He has no reason to expect failure; he tells himself, even if they fail, this will cement them back in the public eye. A threat again. It makes his collar hot to think.

He reviews the plans again, Petrel's notes and schematics, engineering details. Phase 2 will be the most delicate, but he's confident in the abilities of the recruits. The aliens, the outsiders, are strange, but useful. They have skills no other Grunt would possess. Archer recognizes he has been given a tool, and only a fool would fail to use it.

At 9:30AM on November 23rd, Archer sends a message through the Rocket Network. It is short, and simple, and jubilant.

Operation: Express Car START

-----------------------------------------------

It's a nice day out, considering. Cold, yes, but the kind of cold that buries itself deep in the lungs and blows the mind into crisp clarity. Cheeks are red, movements brisk to retain heat, and around Goldenrod's white-dusted Magnet Train station, the energy is thick enough to taste. People in their thick winter coats press together, some alone, some with families and friends, most with their trusted pokémon. The larger creatures are returned to their balls, tragically fated to miss the voyage, while smaller breeds are held in their trainers' arms or scurrying around their ankles.

The station attendants are supervising while customers pass through, touching the microchipped Rail Pass to the card readers and moving in slow, sluggish trails through the gates. There is no shoving; the atmosphere seems too cheery for it, excitement manifesting in the form of loud, vigorous conversation. The train itself is gloriously slick, smooth and polished as a new bullet or a freshly-minted coin, humming with power. We ask our passengers to please mind their electric-types, reminds the stationmaster over the PA, as we seek to avoid any trouble or inconvenience during the ride.

Once you've passed the gate, find a seat and stow away your luggage. Relax, unwind; it's a long six hours ahead.

[[ ooc: I kindly ask that players please DO NOT POST until all the subthreads have been made. Thank you!

GO FOR IT! Remeber to tag yourselves in!

NOTE: YOU CAN NPC ROCKETS IF YOU CAN'T NAB A PC ROCKET FOR PLOTTY FUNTIEMS. ]]

Comments

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[There are approximately two people on this train that Yagyuu is personally concerned with at the moment, to his partial disbelief and slight chagrin: Kujikawa Rise and Atobe Keigo. All things considered, Atobe is probably the greater concern given the crisis, since he's newer to Johto and won't have nearly the array of Pokemon to defend himself that Rise might...

...but on the other hand, Atobe is tennis, and Rise is a girl. And some old habits die really hard.

So, having done his part to help get the train windows open and the air cleared from the noxious gasses the Poison types are spewing, he's started making his way down through the chaos of the train, Lady and Arsène close at hand as he goes looking for familiar faces.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ he'll find Rise a few compartments down, resting heavily on one knee and clutching her left arm, four shades paler than she should be, but keeping her current opponent at bay with one pissed-off Furret. There's a Bellossom hovering near her trainer worriedly, and it's Himiko who spots Yagyuu first, letting out a loud squeak and waving her arms. Rise's either too much in pain or too focused on the fight to notice at first, calling out a quick order for Kanzeon to keep an eye on her left and bracing herself as the Grunt lunges forward. ]

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

Kujika--

[Yagyuu's father is a doctor, but you don't have to be a doctor's son to spot the telltale signs of pain--the pallor of her skin, the grip on her arm--and there's no mistaking the Grunt's aggression, even at a glance.

What happens next is instinct, pure and simple; his fingers snap, his watch melts into a blob of purple and begins to slide down his wrist, and he whips his arm in a throw that would make a pitcher proud. His aim isn't perfect and a Ditto isn't the most aerodynamic thing in the world, but the quarters are close enough that it ultimately doesn't matter; with a resounding splat, Arsène smacks against the Grunt's face and latches on, purple and blobbing as he aims to seal both the nose and the mouth.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

Y--?!

[ Rise turns her head sharply, before she glances back to see the Ditto sail through the air and attach to the Grunt's face. The next twenty seconds is him emitting muffled shrieks and staggering back, with Kanzeon helpfully latching onto his ankle. ]

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[Twenty seconds that Yagyuu is not about to let go to waste, shouldering his way through the chaos of the car (and earning himself a few scratches and bruises for his trouble) with exactly one thought on his mind: getting himself between the Grunt and Rise.

The Rocket may be preoccupied, but he's still got the height and weight on Yagyuu, even with being incapacitated, and he's certainly not sitting still himself, with a Ditto on his face and a Furret on his ankle. It's more coincidence than calculated attack that gets Yagyuu an elbow to the face, but luck is with him and it misses his glasses, catching him low on the cheek instead.

He recoils a second, wincing, but keeps his senses about him long enough to make a fist and slam it home, Arsène helpfully withdrawing just long enough for Yagyuu's fist to connect with the Grunt's nose.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ She slowly pushes herself up on her feet, listing slightly to the side but managing to regain her balance. Her eyes are narrowed, though it's hard to tell whether that's due more to pain or anger. ]

Himiko--!

[ there's a tiny cry of affirmation, and as soon as Yagyuu's punch hits and knocks the Grunt back, the Bellossom dances forward, waiting for boy and Ditto to move out of the way before she releases Stun Spore. ]

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[Grass Pokemon aren't necessarily Yagyuu's particular forte, but he's spent enough time around Yukimura's Gen and the others that come in to the Pokemon Center to recognize Stun Spore when it's used. He's quick, withdrawing his arm with Arsène still attached like a glob of purple glue, and as he ducks out of the way he brings the Ditto this time to his own face. The train quarters are too close to avoid being hit entirely, particularly like this, but his glasses will do their part to keep it out of his eyes, and Arsène can take the hit for the team by protecting his nose and mouth like a mask.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ Rise scoots back a little and draws in a quick breath, waiting warily until the Grunt crashes to the ground and stays down. There's still so much chaos going on that she can't relax properly, but at least that's one issue taken care of. ]

H-hey... you okay?

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[He's not above giving the Grunt a solid kick in the stomach before finally turning back to Rise, Arsène still wrapped around his face and squeaking his displeasure at the Stun Spore in the air. But then his hand comes up, his fingers curl into the mass of purple over his mouth, and the Ditto recedes once again, resuming its place as a (now rather disgruntled) watch on his wrist.]

I could ask you the same thing. Did he hurt you?

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ she glances ruefully at her arm, trying to move it ever so slightly before she winces and ceases that movement. ]

Yeah...

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

Let me see.

[Between having a doctor for a father and Akaya as a teammate, Yagyuu is no stranger to injuries. And while he's not by any means a professional at this sort of thing, it's also not difficult to tell that something is seriously wrong.

Of course, this is a crisis situation and they're still smack in the middle of it, so it isn't really the time or place for an intricate examination and diagnosis. Instead, he opts to just assume the worst, and hope to be proved wrong later.]

There's no bone protruding, that's lucky. But you'd best not try to move it; it's likely broken.

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ Rise might not be accustomed to injury this severe, but she's been hurt enough to know to hold still when he examines her arm. Her breathing's changed to short, shallow breaths, but she manages a grim smile. ]

G-great... now it's a good day.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

Only now? Really, it's as though you're not enjoying the festivities.

[He frowns, still looking at her arm. There's not much to be done for her at this point, not when they're effectively stranded on the train like this, but she'll risk hurting herself worse if they don't do something about that limb.]

Keep breathing as steadily as you can, and tell me if you start having chills. We need to immobilize your arm, first and foremost, and ice it to keep the swelling down. Keep talking to me; do you have a Pokemon with an Ice attack?

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ right, steady. She's quiet for a moment, focusing on regulating her breathing, and then nods towards the Furret now chittering worriedly beside her. ] You're looking at her.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

All right. [He glances around, makes a face, and then yanks the scarf from his neck, spreading it flat on the ground near Kanzeon.] You can owe me a new scarf later. Fill that with ice; I'd rather not subject Arsène to any more punishment than strictly necessary.

[As he says this, he's pulling at his watch once again, guiding the Ditto off his arm and back into its usual grape jelly form, tugging until he's stretched to about the length of Rise's arm.]

This will sting. Do you need something to bite down on?

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ with a sympathetic glance at the Ditto, she then turns to Kanzeon with an expectant look. And maybe it's just that they've been together for over a year, but the Furret knows what's expected, icing a patch on the floor and then scrambling to dig it up into chunks to load onto the scarf. ]

No, it's okay. [ maybe it's bravado, but there's a quiet firmness to the answer, because after everything, Rise can handle 'stings'. ] I'll be fine.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[He gives her a serious look, but nods slightly as he starts to drape the purple mass over her arm.]

This is one time when hiding the pain you're in will do you more harm than good. Tough it out as best you can, but don't make less of it than it is.

[He's not particularly happy at the thought of having Arsène out of commission, especially with the versatility he provides in such close quarters, but a Ditto cast might arguably be just as good as the real thing on a temporary basis, and this is more important.]

[restardom.livejournal.com]

Yes, sir. [ it could almost be flippant, that sort of comment, though the tiredness in her tone dispels most of it. It's obvious enough that she's in more than a little discomfort just by the strain showing on her face, but she remains still. ] There's no point in hiding it, anyway.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'd really rather not have to explain to your friends and Yukimura-kun why I didn't get you help when you went into shock, all because I couldn't recognize the symptoms through your pride.

[He fits the Ditto around her arm, tugging until the ends meet in a cuff, and then gives the order for him to go rigid, the jelly abruptly becoming firm and stiff.]

Speaking of which, how are you feeling now?

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ she winces now, breath escaping in a heavy exhale, before she responds. ]

... Sore. And my arm really hurts. That, and... [ she holds up her uninjured hand, where the fingers are trembling. ] I can't get them to stop shaking.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

Wonderful.

[The word is muttered, biting, as he instinctively begins to shrug out of his coat and wrap it around her shoulders.]

Don't stop talking to me. You're going to have to lay low and try to keep yourself as stable as possible until we can get you off this train.

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ just as instinctively, her fingers curl around the collar, tugging it a little closer, though she frowns at him, three-fourths frustrated and one-fourth guilty. ]

But the bomb--

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[The look he gives her is two parts incredulous and the rest some inexplicable emotion that will probably never be seen on Yagyuu's face again.]

Don't tell me you're an idol, a tofu expert, and a bomb disposal technician?

[restardom.livejournal.com]

[ this? This is a Rise smile, tired and strained, but present. ]

Sorry, Yagyuu-kun, but a girl's gotta keep some secrets to herself.

[ weakness finder, navigator, analyzer, and healer going unsaid. ]

In this case, though, I meant more clearing the path to it.

[usedlaserbeam.livejournal.com]

[His lips tighten slightly, more with abrupt thought than exasperation (though there's a hint of the latter there, too, because really, Kujikawa-san, do you have to be so stubborn for such a good and sensible cause?), and he takes a moment to finger the Pokeballs still in his possession, considering:

Arsène is out of commission for the duration, wrapped securely around Rise's arm; Irene took a beating clearing Fearows away from another car, so she's as good as out, too. Phantom and Vampa are probably too big to be of any real use in the narrow car. And of course there's Lady, noble and steadfast, who would fight until she died if he asked her to--and he's come close to asking it, with some of what he's demanded of her in the chaos.

But then there's the Blitzkraken, his Octillery--and yes, it might be cramped, but it might also be enough.

At the rate he's going, he's going to run his entire team into exhaustion before this trip is through. But on the other hand, if it might mean the difference between victory and defeat, what point is there in holding anything back?]

Is your team competent enough to manage that without you?

[It sounds like an insult, but it's ultimately a practical question; Yagyuu's trained his team to be autonomous when he needs them to be, but that doesn't mean all Pokemon can boast that particular set of training.]